Red Wings see potency of Coyotes' power play

AP PhotoPhoenix celebrates a third-period goal by Shane Doan on Saturday during Game 2.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Phoenix Coyotes’ power play looked every bit as lethargic in their playoff opener as it was during the regular season.

But it can’t be taken lightly. The Detroit Red Wings discovered that in Game 2 of the Western Conference quarterfinals Saturday, when Phoenix scored three power-play goals to make a game of it after falling behind 4-0.

"After the first game, everybody said our power play was brutal and in the second game our power play was really good," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. "(Tonight) you go in and the power play has some confidence."

The Red Wings look to tighten up their penalty kill -- or better yet, take fewer penalties in Game 3.

In Game 1, Phoenix went 0-for-6 on the man-advantage, registering just three shots and posing little threat during a five-on-three that lasted for 1:30. In Game 2, Phoenix went 3-for-7, recording nine shots and scoring on a five-on-three.

"They were just hammering it from up top and they were getting traffic," Detroit goaltender Jimmy Howard said.

"There definitely were more shots coming. That’s what you expect from the power play," Red Wings forward Kris Draper said. "If they don’t score one game, chances are the next game they’re going to over-shoot.

"They did and they were able to get rebounds and traffic in front of Howie. If Howie makes the first save it’s our job to make sure we mop up the garbage around him and we didn’t do a good enough job (Saturday)."

Phoenix forward Ray Whitney, whose team ranked 23rd on the power play this season (15.9 percent), said they were crisper and showed more urgency.

"We just shot pucks and got them to the net and they were rebound goals," Whitney said. "That’s kind of how you score in this league now."

The best way to kill penalties, as far as Red Wings coach Mike Babcock is concerned, is to stay out of the box. That’s not going to be easy in the playoffs, as referees have been instructed to crack down on sticking infractions that sometimes were overlooked during the season.

"We average about eight minutes in penalties throughout the year and suddenly we’re getting 17, so something’s different about it," Babcock said. "We’re a very disciplined team, we got to be real disciplined (tonight). We got to stay out of the penalty box. We got to be better on the penalty-kill."

Coyotes try to match up against DatsyukThe Coyotes hope to find a better match-up against Pavel Datsyuk, who was dominant in the first two games.

"He’s an all-world player," Tippett said. "We’ve tried a couple of different match-ups against him that haven’t worked so we’ll keep trying until we can find the solution."

The Coyotes seemingly are in awe of the Red Wings' star forward.

"He’s been incredible," Phoenix captain Shane Doan said. "As a player you want to do anything you can to stop him. But as a fan he’s so much fun to watch. You tip your hat to the things he does. You have to find a way to make sure not to give him any free opportunities."

Datsyuk’s unpredictability makes him that much tougher to defend.

"You don’t know what he’s going to do because he’s full of tricks," Coyotes defenseman Keith Yandle said. "He’s the only one who knows what he’s going to do and it’s tough to play against him when he’s feeling this good."Odds & ends-- Phoenix defenseman Derek Morris (upper-body injury) remains questionable for Game 3, but skated Sunday during an optional practice.

-- Doan, on Game 3: "They have a great team, but realistically, if we win the next game, it’s a completely different series. They took care of their home ice, that’s what you’re supposed to do in the playoffs. We pushed them in the last game. Now we have to find a way to get over the hump."

-- Datsyuk, on the thousands of Red Wings fans who attend games in Phoenix: "We look forward to next two on the road. I hope there are lots of Red Wings fans there. The fans will be cheering for them, but I hope we have more fans cheering for us." ﻿